Plunger lock with circuit controller for railway switches



Apr. 3, 1923.

w. P. NEUBERT PLUNGER LOCK WITH CIRCUIT CO NTROLLER FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES 2 sheets-Sheet'l Filed Aug. 29, 1922 I l. f. 1441614 I I l I I ll Lvl... il

Patented Apr. 3, 1.923.

UNITED srAr's I y WALTER-1. NEUBERT, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, vAssIeNoal yro TIIE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, `A CORPORATION OF( PENNSYLVANIA. Y

- PLUNGER LocKWI'rH CIRCUITVCONTROLLER Fon RAILWAY sWITeIIIIs.

, .1 f Application led August 29, 1922. Serial No.58v5,033.` l

To all 'whom t may concern.' y j v Be it known that I, WALTER P. N EUBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsbur h, in the county of yAllegheny and .State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new andv useful Improvements in Plunger Locks with Circuit VControllers for Railway Switches, of which the followingis a specilication. l My invention relates to plunger locks for railway switches and to circuit controllers operated by such locks. i

I' will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a View showing in vertical longitudinal section one form of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. l, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line III-III of Fig. l. Fig. ais a vertical sectional view on thel line IV-IV of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a lefthand endrview of the apparatus shown in Fig. l. v y

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each ofthe several views.

Referring tothe drawings, the apparatus A having a tail-like pro-y comprises-a casing jection A. The main body of the casing A is provided with a cover B connected with the casing by hinges 2 and 2a, andthe taillike projection A is provided witha removf able cover B, which is-attached thereto byk machine screws 3. s

^ The cover plate B is 'provided with a rectangular slot 21, as best shown in Fig. 5, and this slot constitutes a guide for a plunger P, which slides on the upper surface of the projection A. The projection A of the enclosing casing is provided with` a vtransverse slot 24: to accommodate a lock rod L, which is attachedy to, a railway switch. The upper surface of the lock rod L is'provided with notches 25 to accommodate the plunger As shown in Figs. land 2, the plunger P is in its projected or locking position, and when in this position it passes through one of the notches 25 in the locky rod L. When the parts are in these positions the railway switch is locked in either its normal or its reverse position. In order to move the switch the plunger P must be retracted to its rig. I.

unlocking position;lthat,is, to such position that the right-hand end of this plunger,A as viewed in Fig. l, clears the lockrod L. The

vswitch may thenbe shifted toL its'- other position, thus bringing another -notch25 in the lock rod L into register with' the plunger P. The plunger `is then restored lto its projected position. so lthat the switch is locked.

The reference character R designates a rocker arm which.,y is pivotally `n :iounted intermediate its ends-on a pin 4, which in turn is supported in the casing A inthe manner j best shown in Fig. 4. Referring to this view,

' it will vbe seen that the pin is located in suit v' able holes 5a in the walls of the casing. The

outer ends ofl these holes areenlarged'and are tapped to receive pipe plugs 5, the'func-r tions of which are to hold the Y pin 4: in proper position in the holes 5a.

The rocker arm Rvv carries two rollers 8 and 9 journalled in suite lable mannerin this. arm so as to be free to rotate with respect to the arm. These rollers co-act with theplunger P, and fory this purpose the under surface of theplunger is provided with a recess 6 and the inner1 end of the plungeris chamfered at 7 as shown in when the plungerl is in the projectedor v locking position, roller 8 is located in the re- Y viewed in Fig. l'. lVhen the plunger Pis withdrawny to `the unlocking position, roloutof the recess 6 and -onto .the unrecessed cess .6,.whereas roller' 9 engages with .anjun- ,A j recessed portion 6a of the under surfaceof `i the plunger. The arm R "is'then rockedto its eXtreme position in clockwise direction assurface 6a of the plunger, so` that the rocker i arm R is shifted in counter-clockwise direction from the position in which it is shown 'in Fig. l.' When the plungerl P is restored toits locking position, the rocker arm is, of course, restored n,to the position shown` in the drawing. It will -be seenth ere"fore, that Y when the plunger is in locking position, the."

right-hand'end of the rocker arm R is down and that when the plunger is in the unlock-v ing position, the right-hand end of arm R is elevated. f

Referring now particularly to Figs. l and 3, the right-hand end of arm R is drilled to receive a through suitable holes in the two legs 11a pin l0, which pin also passes i 19 which are adjustably mounted in lugs 2O projecting inwardhT from the casing The block 11 actuates a circuit controller C comprising two contact fingers 14 and 15,

, which are mounted` in a block 22 of insullat- 7 closed. Upona slight ing material, and'which bloc-lr is in turn supported byl lugs 23 projectinginwardly from the casing A. The upper contact linger 15 is tif-red and is comparatively rigid, whereas the lower contact finger 14 is comparatively ileXible and is extended to pass between two blocks 12 and 13 ot insulating material mounted on the block 11 and attached thereto by screw/S26.

The parts are so designed and adjusted that when the plunger P is in the projected or locking position, as shown in Fig. 1, the block 11 is forced downwardly against the action of the springs 16 s o that contact 14-15 is opened, then the plunger l? is withdrawn or retracted to its unlocking position, the block 11 is released as soon as the right-hand end 7 clears the roller 9, whereupon this block rises due to the action ot springs 16 and Contact 14-15 becomes further movement of plunger l) the roller 8 passes out ot the recess 6, thereby positively locking the bloclr 11 in elevated position.

T he circuit controller@ may comprise any `suitable number ot sets ot contact springs 1er-15, two such sets being shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and inodiications may be made therein within the scope ot the appended claims without departing trom the spirit and scope oi' my invention.

Having thus described my invention, wha l claim is:

1. In combination, a casing provided with a rectangular slot, a rectangular plunger mounted to reciprocate in said slot and adapted tor co-operation with a railway switch lock rod, said plunger having a recess in its under surface, a rocker arm pivotally mounted beneath said plunger and having two rollers co-operating with the plunger in such manner that when the plunger is projected into locking position one roller occupies said recess and the other roller coacts with an unrecessed point on the under surof ythe plunger, whereas when the r is retracted to unlocking position the irst roller engages an unrecessed pointv on t ie under surface of the :plunger vand the second roller is tree from the inner end ot the plu'nger,.ineans for biasingsaid rocker arnnin such direction that said second roller rises when freed Afrom the inner end of the plunger, and a circuit controller located in said casing and operated by said rocker arm. 2. in combination, a casing provided with a rectangular slot, a rectangular plunger mounted to reciprocate in said slot and adapted for co-operation with a railway switch lock rod, said plunger having a recess in its under surface, a'rocker arm pivotally mounted beneath said plunger and having two rollers co-operating with the ilunger in such manner that when the plunger is projected into locking position one roller occupies said recess and the otherv roller coacts with an unrecessed point on the under surface ot the plunger, whereas when the plunger is retracted to unlocking position the first roller engages an unrecessed point on the under surface of the plunger and the second roller is free from the inner end ot the plunger, and a circuit controller located in said casing and operated by saidy rocker arm. y 1

3. In combination, a casing having a taillike extension, a detachable cover for :said

extension provided with a rectangular slot in its under surface, a rectangular plunger mounted to reciprocate in said slotand adapted for co-operation with a railway switch lock rod, said plunger having a recess in its under surface, a rocker arm piv-y otally mounted beneath said plunger and having two rollers cooperating with the plunger in such manner that when the yplunger is projected into locking position onel roller occupies said recess and the vother roller coacts with an unrecessed point on the under surface of the plunger, whereaswhen the plunger is retracted to unloclring'posi tion the lirst roller engages `an unrecessed point on the under surface of the plunger and the second roller is tree from the inner end of the plunger, and a circuit controller located in said casing and operated by said rocker arm.

In testimony whereof atlix my signature.

VALTER P. NEUBERT. 

